1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, in general, to internal combustion engines and, more specifically, to fuel/air mixing systems for internal combustion engines.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Among the growing concerns of today's motorists are an adequate supply of fuel for vehicles and the rising costs thereof. Coupled with these concerns are the enhanced awareness of the ecological damage resulting from the emission of pollutants from fuel-burning, internal combustion engine powered, motor vehicles. In an internal combustion engine, the pollutants include oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons. In addition to creating an ecological problem, the unburned hydrocarbons also contribute to inefficient engine of the engine. Further, in existing internal combustion engines, a measurable portion of the fuel supplied to the engine remains unburned and is discharged into the atmosphere. This not only pollutes the atmosphere, but it also results in uneconomical engine operation and poor engine performance.
Many attempts have been made to ensure a more complete combustion of the fuel in internal combustion engines. Many of these attempts have involved the utilization of a vaporizing apparatus to vaporize the fuel/air mixture before it is passed to the combustion chambers of the engine. It is also well known to provide suitable heating apparatus within the carburetor to heat the fuel/air mixture to a temperature more conductive to complete combustion prior to its entry into the combustion chambers. Such vaporizing and heating apparatus are typically mounted between the carburetor and the intake manifold of the engine so as to vaporize and/or heat the final fuel/air mixture passing therebetween.
Other attempts known in the prior art include the introduction of adjuvants to the fuel/air mixture prior to its introduction into the combustion chamber. However, such attempts at improving engine efficiency and performance by heating or vaporizing the fuel/air mixture prior to its entry into the combustion chambers have met with limited success at reducing engine pollutants.
Apart from the techniques used to improve engine performance by more completely burning the fuel/air mixture, additional pollutant control devices, such as the now prevalent catalytic converter, have come into use to reduce the amount of pollutants issuing from vehicle exhaust systems.
Such catalytic converters, while greatly reducing the amount of gaseous contaminants issuing from the vehicle exhaust systems, are quite costly and require modification of the vehicle for their installation. A large part of the cost is due to the quantity of platinum based materials used in their construction. Such converters also require specific types of fuel and, if wrong fuel is used, become clogged. This not only reduces their effectiveness in reducing air pollutants issuing from the vehicle but also severly impairs the engine performance.
Thus, the prior art has utilized separate devices to either improve engine performance or reduce pollutants issuing from the vehicle exhaust system. Such devices, while functioning satisfactorily to a certain extent in achieving the intended purpose, i.e., fuel efficiency improvement or pollutants reduction--then do little or nothing at reducing the engine concomitant for which they are not intended.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a fuel/air mixing system for use with internal combustion engines which overcomes the problems with prior art devices in improving engine efficiency, i.e., decreasing the amount of fuel utilized per distance driven, as well as reducing the quantity of air pollutants issuing from the vehicle exhaust system. It would also be desirable to provide a fuel/air mixing system which is constructed as a single device and which functions to both improve engine performance and reduce pollutant levels. It would also be desirable to provide a fuel/air mixing system which can be easily incorporated in existing internal combustion engine designs without extensive modification thereof. Finally, it would be desirable to provide a fuel/air mixing system which is economical in cost.